It's All In The Cards
by Paige Terner
Summary: Beckett finds herself on an odd little adventure unlike anything she's ever done before.


**Title: It's All In The Cards**

**Summary: Beckett finds herself on an odd little adventure unlike anything she's ever done before.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own most of the characters I write about. If you recognize a name, odds are it isn't mine. But seeing as this is a fanfic website, you probably knew that already.**

**Thanks again to Sunshiny-Kate, the best beta a writer could ask for!**

* * *

Beckett blinked several times, then shut her eyes tightly and rubbed them with her balled up fists. When the blurs of color faded back to black, she reopened her eyes. Nope. She hadn't been imagining it. There were roses everywhere, in what had to be at least twenty vases. Maybe more. It seemed that every hard, flat surfaced piece of furniture in the living room and kitchen held at least one vase, and some had two. The myriad of colors amazed her, as there were some shades she'd never seen in a rose before. The whole room smelled of them, a gentle aroma that was pleasing to her still tired nose. She took a deep breath, savoring the floral onslaught, and then let the air out as a long sigh, leaking between her pursed lips.

What on earth had Castle done?

She racked her brain, but nothing came to mind. It wasn't a holiday or their anniversary, and her birthday was months away still. They hadn't had a fight, and she wasn't mad at him for anything, so he wasn't trying to apologize for anything. Unless he'd done something she didn't know about yet, which she highly doubted.

"Castle?"

She listened for a reply, but none came. Where was he? Had he gotten up, played rose fairy, and left? That made even less sense than the dozens upon dozens of roses.

Then she saw it. A little white card, folded over, standing like a little tent on the table, watching her from between the two largest vases in the room. She shuffled over to it, reaching out to feel the silky soft petals of several of the ruby red roses before picking it up. The front simply said _Kate_, in handwriting she knew all too well. She unfolded it and saw more of his unmistakable penmanship. As she read, a smile began etching it's way across her face, growing with every word.

_Roses are red, except when they're not,_  
_in fact their colors can vary a lot._  
_There's oranges and yellows, pinks and whites,_  
_multicolored, and ones with highlights,_  
_But no matter the shade, one thing's always true,_  
_they're a token of my love for you,_  
_A love that truly makes me feel alive,_  
_and means so much more than just page 105,_  
_So when I say this, I hope you won't feel jilted,_  
_Kate, I will love you until the last rose has wilted._

With that, her smile vanished. What was that supposed to mean? Until the last rose wilted? That wasn't exactly a love everlasting. Her eyes widened. He wasn't breaking up with her, was he? Telling her that his love for her was waning, and would soon be gone? What about always? She shook head and inhaled another slow, deep breath. She needed to get a hold of her thoughts before they could spiral away even further.

Tossing the card back down on the table, she turned and headed for the coffee pot. At least he'd left it mostly full. As she drew closer to the brew, she realized there was another vase there, a tall, thin one. It held a single rose, one with royal purple petals. Of all the colors in the room, this was the only purple rose. She reached for it, unable to resist its beauty. The petals were so soft that they felt like velvet. No. Wait. She rubbed one gently between her thumb and first finger. It didn't feel like velvet, it was velvet. It wasn't an actual living flower.

She bit her lip and then burst into laughter. That insufferable man. Only he could put her on such an emotional roller coaster without even being in the room. Still chuckling to herself, she opened the cabinet to get a mug. When another white notecard fell out, she flinched, but reacted quickly enough to catch it before it hit the counter. Her name was on the outside like the first one, and she unfolded it to see what else Castle had to say.

_I hope you're enjoying your poetry and roses,_  
_though now you know why I only write proses,_  
_But while rhyming may not be my strong suit,_  
_there is a fact that even you can't repute,_  
_This little card is far from the last,_  
_to find them all you'll have to think fast,_  
_If you follow the clues then you will uncover,_  
_that which I want you to discover,_  
_Your next clue can be found in a place,_  
_where we like to sit and stare into space._

Kate closed the card and set it down on the counter. She knew exactly where she had to go. Forgetting about her desire for a cup of coffee she trotted into the bedroom to grab her keys. Then she headed for the front door.

* * *

As soon as she stepped out onto the roof, the early morning sun landed on her arms and face, warming her exposed skin in a delightful way. She let it wash over her for a few moments before making her way to the lounge chairs where she and Castle had spent many a night stargazing. A smile had split her lips wide by the time she reached the little table between them and picked up the white card sitting atop it. She actually found herself excited as she opened it up.

_I bet you are wondering what is going on,_  
_and that you would ask me if I wasn't gone,_  
_Patience will have to be your virtue today,_  
_for all of this will unfold my way,_  
_You'll certainly have to keep your eyes peeled,_  
_and use all the training that comes with your shield,_  
_To follow the evidence and solve the mystery,_  
_the results of which will go down in history,_  
_Your next clue can be found if you look,_  
_in a place where people can become a book._

Beckett started back towards the loft as she mulled the clue over. There were tons of libraries in town, though only one that really had any meaning for the two of them. But people don't become books at a library, or at a bookstore for that matter. Did he mean a costume shop? Martha's theater? No. None of that was right. Her brow furrowed as she went through the door and headed for his office.

Staring at his shelves, she still couldn't come up with an answer. Sighing loudly, she glanced at the clock on the wall. Whoa. It was way later than she'd realized. If she didn't pick up the pace, she would be late for work. Stepping back into the kitchen to finally get a cup of coffee, she ran her fingers over the velvet rose again, smiling at how much she loved the man behind all of this. Whatever this was.

She dropped her hand to her side and headed for the bathroom. It was a few minutes later as she rinsed the conditioner from her hair when a light bulb went off in her head. She knew where the next clue was.

* * *

"Good morning, Detective Beckett," the middle aged woman behind the counter called out. "what brings you to booking this morning?"

"Morning, Leslie," Beckett replied. "um, this may sound strange, but did Castle come by here earlier?"

Leslie started to smile, but pulled the corners of her lips back down before the grin was fully formed. Suddenly she knelt down behind the counter. When she stood up just as abruptly, her dirt brown ponytail swung wildly. Her blue eyes were wide with excitement as she lifted her hand to show that she was holding a now familiar white card, which she then held out to Beckett.

"When did he give this to you?"

"My lips are sealed, Detective," Leslie shrugged. "I'm sorry, but I was told to give it to you if you came down her asking about Mr. Castle, but to say nothing more."

Beckett almost pushed the normally chatty woman for more information, but the desire to read the card got the better of her. Not wanting to wait any longer, she opened it right there and began reading.

_You truly are clever, though I had no doubt,_  
_that you would be able to figure the clue out,_  
_This time I'll get to the point rather quickly,_  
_for all of this rhyming has my brain feeling prickly,_  
_Go ahead and make your way up to the bull pen,_  
_and look where we draw timelines from beginning to end._

"Thank you, Leslie," Beckett nodded at her as she pocketed the card.

Leslie smiled and nodded back. "You're welcome."

And with that, Beckett headed for the elevator.

* * *

"Where's Castle?" Beckett asked.

Ryan and Esposito both looked up from their computer screens and shrugged.

"He didn't come in with you?" Esposito's eyebrows lifted as he spoke.

"No," Beckett replied. "he left before I did this morning."

"He hasn't been here," Ryan told her. "Why did he leave without you? You two get in a fight or something?"

"We didn't get in a fight. He's up to something though, but I don't know what." She sighed. "Has he said anything to either of you about any plans he's had lately?"

"Hey, when it comes to you," Ryan shook his head. "he pretty much keeps everything to himself."

"Why do I find that hard to believe?" Beckett crossed her arms. "Besides, he rarely gets into hijinks without involving you two."

"Hey," Esposito exclaimed. "are you suggesting that my partner and I are anything but professionals?"

"No, I'm not suggesting that." Beckett smirked. "I'm saying it outright."

"Rude." Esposito scoffed mockingly before turning back to his computer.

Ryan chuckled. "Seriously though, Beckett, we haven't seen Castle all day."

"But you do know what he's up to, don't you?"

"I don't have a clue where he is or what he is doing at this moment or any other unless I am right there with him." Ryan smiled. "And I am not right there with him at the moment, so no."

Beckett squinted her eyes and fought off a smile. "I'm going to remember this."

She turned on her heels and headed towards the murder board. The boys must not have noticed the card taped to the top of it, or they were lying about their knowledge of events, because they said nothing when Beckett took it down and carried it to her desk. She had just sat down and was opening the card when Gates burst out of her office.

"We have a new body," she declared as she held up a small piece of paper, waving it in Beckett's direction. "Here's the address."

Beckett stood up, pocketing the unread card as she did so, then grabbed her phone and keys before crossing over to take the paper from Gates.

"No Castle today?" the captain asked with raised eyebrows.

"No, Sir," Beckett shook her head. "he didn't come in with me this morning."

"Hmmm." Gates nodded as if that was all the explanation she needed, then turned to go back to her desk.

Beckett looked down at the scrap to read the address. "Let's go, boys." she called out over her shoulder.

As she walked towards the elevator with Ryan and Esposito not far behind, she thought about the card in her pocket. She was curious to know what it said, but she'd have to wait. The job had to come before, well, before whatever this was that he'd orchestrated.

* * *

It had been nearly five hours before they'd come to a standstill in the case, and when she'd had a moment to breathe, Beckett had finally read the card that had been patiently awaiting her. She stopped in front of the building it had guided her to, then pulled it out to read again.

_Read this downwards_  
_Else it might not make sense_  
_Maybe you're close to the end_  
_You probably aren't though_  
_Sustenance may be required to go on_

Laughing and shaking her head, she returned it to her pocket once more and opened the door to Remy's. She was ready for some lunch anyway, so the timing had ended up working out. Once inside she headed to the take out counter and ordered a chicken Caesar salad. She gave her payment to the teenager behind the counter, then stepped back to wait for her food. Beckett didn't know how she was supposed to find a clue in here, so she decided to find the manager and ask if Castle had left anything for her. Craning her neck, she looked all around in the main room, but didn't see anyone other than a few fellow late lunch eaters. Hmm. Maybe the manager was in the kitchen or an office in the back. The young woman who'd bring her salad out would be able to tell her. So Beckett waited. But she never got a chance to ask for the manager, for when the paper bag that held her salad was placed in front of her on the counter, a white card was taped to the side of it, her handwritten name staring up at her.

She smiled briefly. "Thank you," she nodded to the teen.

"Enjoy your salad, and come back to see us," came the only reply before the blond haired college student had walked off to take another customer's order.

Beckett was baffled. It seemed that with every clue, she found herself more confused as to how Castle had pulled all of this off. How long had he been setting this up? And that was still the biggest question of all. What was all of this about? Maybe she should stop trying to guess and just read the new clue. Stepping out of the way of foot traffic, she sat her bag down on the condiment counter and removed the card so she could do just that.

_I bet you're dead tired of all this, aren't you? Well, don't check out just yet. Just go ahead and perish the thought of stopping. You may feel this trail is defunct, but you really shouldn't give up the ghost. You have passed away a lot of time today indulging me, but I promise this is more than just kicking the bucket around wasting time. Every time a clue bites the dust, your search is one step closer to expiring. If you want to move on, you don't have to go to Davy Jones' locker or even six feet under, but your next clue does await you in a macabre place. You might want to hurry though. Lanie is probably getting rather impatient._

Beckett actually barked out a loud laugh at the last sentence, earning a strange look from a couple of the diners. She cleared her throat embarrassingly before grabbing two plastic forks from the container in front of her and tossing them down in the bag. After adding some napkins, she left Remy's and got in her car. Their salads were really big enough for two anyway, and she could justify the trip to Gates if need be by seeing if Lanie had any new information from the autopsy.

* * *

"Good lord, am I glad you're here." Lanie exclaimed before the doors had even swung closed behind Beckett.

"Nice to see you too, Lanie." Beckett held up the bag in her right hand. "Want some chicken caesar?"

Lanie nodded her head at her desk on the other side of the room. "Go set us up over there, and I'll go wash the dead guy off my hands."

Beckett did as she was told, and by the time she'd pulled out the salad, napkins, and forks, Lanie was walking towards her, pulling an extra chair behind her. She passed it off to Beckett and went around the desk to her own chair.

"Got anything for me on Geraldson?" Beckett asked before taking her first bite.

"Un-uh," Lanie shook her head. "I know you did not come all the way down here to ask me about that dead man over there."

Beckett chewed quickly and swallowed the perfectly seasoned chicken and lettuce. "Business first, then pleasure."

"You know that I would have called you if anything new had turned up." Lanie took a bite.

"Yes, I know that."

Lanie swallowed. "And have I called you?"

"No."

"Then I guess that means business is out of the way." Lanie grinned widely and set her fork down, then opened her desk drawer and pulled out the real reason Beckett had come to see her. "Here you go, then."

Beckett took another bite and set her fork down too, then took the card from Lanie excitedly. "Tell me what is going on."

"Read the card and find out."

"Come on, Lanie," Beckett swallowed and sighed, "you know what Castle is plotting here, and don't try to tell me you don't."

Lanie shrugged and took another bite of the salad sitting between them. "Fine then. I do know," she said a moment later after chewing several times. "but I ain't saying a thing."

"Give me a hint, something, anything."

"Nope."

"When did he give you the card? At least tell me that."

Lanie furrowed her brow contemplatively, then nodded. "Okay. Castle gave me that card after he wrote it."

"And when was that?"

"Sometime before I gave it to you." Lanie grinned again.

Beckett frowned, but then she couldn't help but chuckle. "Alright, I get it. I'll stop prying," She scooped up her fork and took another bite, then set it back down again. "and start reading."

"Stop talking with your mouth full." Lanie admonished playfully.

Beckett swallowed and stuck her tongue out at her, then opened up the card.

_It can be a kind of music or dance, a group of non-monogamous people, or a state whose electoral vote can change an election result. It can also be something fun for children and adults alike, whether be it made of rope, tires, or curvy rubber._

"So," Lanie asked after several silent minutes. "where is your next stop?"

Beckett looked up at her. "A place that is special to us," she smiled. "In fact, it's sort of the place where we became us. Or at the very least it was the last place I went to before we became us."

"Well isn't that just adorably cryptic?"

"It's just a little p-" Beckett was interrupted by her text message tone set for Ryan, and she pulled her phone out to read it. "They've arrested our suspect," she explained as she pocketed the phone. "I've got an interrogation to get to."

"What about your next clue?"

"Business before pleasure, remember?"

"Yeah, yeah." Lanie groaned. "Well, go get a confession so you can get back to the pleasure part.

Beckett rolled her eyes and took a few more quick bites of the salad before standing up.

"You're gonna be hungry soon if that's all you're going to eat."

"I'll be fine, mother." Beckett laughed, but then leaned over to take one more bite. "Thanks for the clue." She held up the card before slipping it into her pocket.

"You're welcome." Lanie gestured to what was left of the food. "Thank you for sharing. I'll clean this up. You just get going."

"Bye, Lanie. I'll talk to you soon."

"Yeah, you'd better." Lanie replied too softly for her retreating friend to hear. "Bye!" She added, speaking louder this time.

* * *

When Beckett finally made it to the swing set, another two hours had passed. The suspect had alibied out, but he'd been cooperative and given them a name of another person to look into. The tip had panned out and they'd made an arrest. She had paperwork to finish, but she'd do it tomorrow. For now, she only had one piece of paperwork she wanted to focus on. And she'd found it taped to the bottom of the right swing, the one that was hers in some unspoken way. All it had said was '_Go to where I used to be cute.'_, so now she was at The Old Haunt.

Since it was far past the lunch hours and still a while until it would open for dinner, Beckett had to use her key and let herself in. She went through the side door that was normally for deliveries instead of the front door, so it would be easier to get to the lights. Once she could see, she made her way over to the table where Castle had penned some of his famous words, smiling at the sight of the card perched near the edge of it. She picked it up and opened it. Her brow furrowed in surprise at the amount of writing on the card compared to all the others. And then she began to read.

_Dearest Kate,_  
_You did it. This is the final card. But you won't find any poorly written poetry or oddly worded instructions on this one. No, this card is different, which is why I saved it for last. This card is merely a means to provide you with some information. I love you, Kate, more than I can truly put into words. I've never loved anyone the way I love you, so fully and deeply. We have been through so much together, and when I think back to the odds we beat, sometimes even I, the annoyingly optimistic me, am amazed that we did in fact beat those odds. But I wouldn't trade a single moment, good or bad, because those moments are what brought us to where we are. We have something beautiful, Kate, something as real as the card you're holding in your hands. And I want to spend the rest of my life building on it, making it better. I want to spend every day with you. I want to love you and fight with you and make up with you and have children and pets and china that we never use. I want to spend the rest of my days by your side, showing you just how much I love you. If you would do me the honor of being my wife, I would truly be the happiest man on earth. What do you say, Kate? Will you marry me?_

Beckett stared at the words. She read them all again, and then a third time. As she started in for the fourth time, she heard a soft click behind her and spun wildly, reaching instinctively for her gun. She didn't unholster it though, because she realized the noise had come from the hinge on the little black box in Castle's hands. He was staring up at her with wonder and emotion heavy on his face. The box he was holding held a gold band topped with a round cut diamond.

"It's round so there aren't any corners to break the latex gloves on, and I had it made so that the diamond doesn't sit much higher than the band for the same reason." He said, his voice shaking slightly. "So if you say yes, then you can wear it even at work. If you want to." He swallowed twice. "I mean, if you want to wear it at work." He swallowed again. "Well, if you want to wear it at all." He licked his lips. "I mean, if you want to marry me."

"Are you crazy, Castle?"

"Um, I uh," he stammered. "well, I am crazily in love with you."

"I meant about me wearing it to work."

"Kate, you don't have to wear it to work. Or at all. I just want to marry you. I don't care what you do with the ring."

"Of course I want to wear it to work." Beckett smiled. "I want everyone I meet to know that my heart belongs to someone."

"Wait, so, is that a yes?"

"Yes, Castle." Beckett blinked back tears that were suddenly threatening to fall. "I want to marry you."

His face lit up, eyes wide and sparkling, and he tugged the ring free of its velvet housing. He took the card from Beckett's hand and tossed both it and the box up on the table behind her. Then he slipped the ring on her left hand ring finger. Before he could let go of her hand, she grabbed ahold and tugged, prompting him to stand up.

Then she kissed him. Passion ignited like a wildfire, and tongues and lips and hands went wild, each holding the other as tightly as they could. Suddenly, and far too quickly for either of them, Beckett pulled back just enough to lean her forehead to his.

"I love you, Castle." She whispered into the shared air between them. "I love you so much and I want to marry you."

Castle stretched his lips out to kiss her nose, the oddness of the tender moment almost making them both laugh. "I love you too, Kate."

"I can't believe you did all this, Rick."

"All what?"

"The cards. Getting people to hold on to some of them for you. How long did it take to set all this up?"

"Not that long." He shrugged, then wrapped his arms even tighter around her. "A few days of set up. But an awful lot of planning. I had to have back up cards in place in case you couldn't make it to one of the spots. But all somehow went according to plan."

"Well, you get style and creativity points," Beckett chuckled. "but I did miss seeing you today."

"I saw you most of the day." Castle smiled. "I was never far away, in case I had to enact one of the back up plans."

"That's sneaky. I never saw you."

"I'm like a Jedi like that."

Beckett laughed at the now old joke between them. "Take me home, sir Jedi. We have an engagement to celebrate."

"No can do, my young Padawan. In about thirty minutes, some of our near and dear type folks will start showing up here for a party."

"A party?"

"Yeah. We have an engagement to celebrate."

Beckett chewed her bottom lip for a few seconds. "Thirty minutes, huh?"

"Yeah, give or take."

"Well, I guess we had better get downstairs to your office and make the most of the time we have."

Before Castle could respond, she broke their embrace and grabbed him by the hand. Then she started for the door to take them downstairs. Thirty minutes wasn't much time. But it was certainly enough.

* * *

**A/N - It's been a while since I wrote a fic, so I decided to jump back in. I hope y'all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thank you for reading. It means more to me than you can ever know. Until next time - Paige.**


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